Business and Cultural Practices in Australia, Research Paper Example

Australia has over twenty million people residing in it, which is commensurate with the United States. There are very few urban centers that are thus quite population dense. 93% of the population is of European ancestry, which means that English is the main language spoken and Christianity is the primary religion. Only 1% of Australia is comprised of indigenous persons, who canoed from Southeast Asia approximately 50,000 years ago. This fact was ascertained when scientists used radiocarbon dating practices. Indigenous values include filial piety, adhering to tradition, and the desire to go to sacred sites. Examining Australian culture and business practices through the lens of Hofstede’s six-dimensional model in order to get a cogent overview of what drives Australian culture and business in relation to other cultures around the world. Business in Australia is conducted according to the mantra “Less is More,” which is why it is important for business practices to be succinct and to the point without skirting around issues. In addition to directness and brevity, punctuality and professional sartorial behaviors are valued.

Power Distance

The power distance dimension is predicated on the notion that members of a society are never fully equal to one another, thereby conveying the cultural attitude towards these prevalent injustices amongst Australian denizens. Power Distance can be defined as “the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations without a country expect and accept that power” is distributed in an equal manner (Hofstede). This dimension deals with the reality that both leaders and followers of persistent inequities thereby endorse them. Australia scores quite low in this dimension at 36%. There is a stringent hierarchy established within Australian business organizations for accessibility and convenience. Indeed, upper management is always accessible and employees both teams and individuals are relied on by the managers because of their competence and dexterity. Employees and managers must be consulted on quotidian basis, and information is communicated and shared very often. In addition, communication is direct, open to discussion, and often informal.

Individualism

At the core of this dimension is to what extent are members of a culture and society interdependent, thereby address whether or not the denizens’ self-image are defined as individual or collective. Within so-called individualist cultures, members always look after solely their own and their family’s self interest. In contrast, collectivist cultures look after the groups as a whole, thereby requiring loyalty to foment. Australia is a highly individualist culture, scoring 90 in this particular dimension. This score suggests that Australia is loosely-knit together, as people are expected to only look out for their families and for themselves. In Australian businesses, employees have the expectation of evincing conservative values such as self-help and self reliant. Moreover, employees must take initiative to carry out and complete tasks. Within the exchange-based business world, the decision to hire and fire employees is predicated on evidence of what an employee has done or has the potential to do as well as on merit. Privacy is highly prized, which is reinforced both in the workplace and in people’s personal lives. As such, individuals who try to ingratiate themselves with others is often rebuffed and viewed as somewhat taboo.

Masculinity vs. Femininity

In this dimension, a high score—which refers to the masculine—suggests that a particular society is propelled by intense competition, high level of achievement, and overall success. Success is defined as the best or the winner within a certain field. This value system commences in school and persists throughout the life of an individual with regards to leisure and work endeavors. A low score—which is associated with the feminine—translates into the hegemonic values within a particular society are quality of life and the level of how caring one is towards others. Societies that are characterized as feminine place value on quality of life as signifiers of success, so being conspicuous within a crowd for achievement is not lauded. As such, at the core of this dimension is what drives people: either being the best and standing out from a crowd—masculine—or genuinely enjoying what an individual is doing, which is feminine (Hofstede). This dimension must always be read through a grain of salt, as it is difficult to quantify and is often impacted by the gender status quo. Australia hovers around the middle on the continuum with a score of 61, which means it is rendered masculine. The behavior of individuals in social settings, at work, and at school are all predicated on the notion that they should always strive to beat out the competition in order to be the best. Such a “winner takes all” mentality means that Australians are gratified when they are successful and are proud of all of their achievements.  This mentality forms the basis of firing and hiring practices in addition to promotions that take place within the workplace. In turn, conflicts are resolved at the individual rather than collective level because the aim is to be successful and win. 

Uncertainty Avoidance

This dimension addresses how a society approaches the unknown in the future and the level of control exerted regarding the future. Such ambiguity that undergirds the unknown future foments various fears and anxieties, which is dealt with on an idiosyncratic basis according to cultural exigencies. The extent that members within a certain culture feel threatened by the unknown and thus have implemented various institutions and certain beliefs to eschew these anxieties is mirrored in the score. Within this dimension, Australia as a family-centered culture and stable society hovers at the middle of the continuum, scoring a 51.

Long-Term Orientation

This dimension details how individual societies need to preserve some associated with its own history and past while also navigating the challenges and obstacles in the present as well as in the future. These existential aims are mutually exclusive, and they are addressed on an idiosyncratic basis. Normative societies score lower in this dimension, and they are inclined to sustain antiquated traditions and norms that are time-honored, thus perceiving societal alterations with a great deal of suspicion.  Societies that score higher in this dimension are more utilitarian and pragmatic when approaching time-honored traditions, Rather, they encourage parsimony and efforts to develop education to address modern exigencies in order to adequately prepare for the future. Australia scores lower in this dimension at 21, which means Australia is considered a more normative culture. Denizens in Australia are profoundly concerned about decreeing an absolute truth, thereby possessing normative cognitive processes. The demonstrate a trenchant reverence for tradition, an orientation towards rapid achievement, and a seemingly disregard for saving for the future.

Works Cited

Hofstede, Geet. “National Culture. iTim International. N.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2015. http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html

Morrison, Conoway and Borden, Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands (2nd Edition), Adams Media.